In my goal-setting post for 2025, I said this:
“2025 looks to be a very different year for me… I am trying to pursue a goal (authorship) that I hope can be made into a career.”
I don’t think I’ve ever written anything so prescient.
If 2025 had a word, it would be internal. I didn’t travel. I didn’t enter nose work trials with Key. I made it into a few art shows, but not the big ones like last year. What I did do is write.
I published my first book, Paw Prints in the Ledger, and am on the cusp of releasing the second, Ruff Justice. I have almost finished polishing (soon…) book 3 (tentative title Balancing the Woofs) and started a new work which will remain a mystery for a while.
As I write this recap of the year, I am in the process of realizing that writing a book is a good start, but getting sales is a whole other journey.
So, how did my 2025 list stack up?
| Type | Organization | Description | Time | Goal | Actual |
| Art | 0 | ||||
| Art | Alaska AIR | Apply | Winter | 1 | 0 |
| Art | Art on the Edge | Committee | 1 | ||
| Art | Art on the Edge | Participate | Spring | 1 | 1 |
| Art | Emerald Art Center | Apply | Spring | 1 | 0 |
| Art | Equine Art Show | Participate | Summer | 1 | 0 |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – International | Spring | 1 | 1 |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – Member | Winter | 1 | 1 |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – Member (juried) | Fall | 1 | 1 |
| Art | ISEA | China Committee | 0 | ||
| Art | NWWS | Apply | Fall | 1 | 1 |
| Art | NWWS | Apply | Spring | 1 | 1 |
| Art | Pacific Artists’ Co-Op Gallery | Have a new show for featured artist in May | Spring | 1 | 1 |
| Art | Pacific Artists’ Co-Op Gallery | Keep commitments | 12 | 12 | |
| Art | Pacific Artists’ Co-Op Gallery | Switch out art each quarter | 4 | 4 | |
| Art | Western Fed | Apply | Fall | 1 | 0 |
| Art | WSO | Apply | Fall | 1 | 1 |
| Art | WSO | Apply | Spring | 1 | 1 |
| Art | WSO | Find & attend a critique group | 10 | 0 | |
| Art | WSO | Jean Pederson workshop | 1 | 1 | |
| Art | Blog posts | 24 | 20 | ||
| Art | Newsletter | 4 | 7 | ||
| Friendships | Develop a new friend | 1 | 1 | ||
| Health | Continue Qi Gong | 1 | |||
| Health | Drink water | 1 | |||
| Health | Eat breakfast | 0 | |||
| Health | Get 8 hours sleep | 1 | |||
| Health | Hit 10,000 steps daily | 1 | |||
| Knitting | Finished knitting projects | 2 | 0 | ||
| Leftish | Decide on a volunteer project | 0 | |||
| Leftish | Donate to charity | 1 | |||
| Mental Health | Alone time is important | 1 | |||
| Mental Health | Do NOT overextend (boards, volunteer) | 0 | |||
| Nosework | Elite 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nosework | L2C | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nosework | L3C | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nosework | L3I | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nosework | Participate in trials | 4 | 0 | ||
| Reading | Goodreads Challenge | 90 | 98 | ||
| Travel | Travel adventure | 1 | 0 | ||
| Writing | NaNoWriMo | Take advantage of resources | 0 | ||
| Writing | SCBWI | Take advantage of resources | 1 | ||
| Writing | Willamette Writers | Take advantage of resources | 1 | ||
| Writing | Mystery Series: Polish 2 | 1 | |||
| Writing | Mystery Series: Polish 3 | 1 | |||
| Writing | Mystery Series: Shop series | 1 | |||
| Writing | Mystery Series: Write 4 | 0 | |||
| Writing | Young: Finish and shop “DDD” | 0 | |||
| Writing | Young: Finish and shop “Whimbrels” | 1 | |||
| Writing | Young: Start “Cows” or “Pelicans” | 0 |
There are fifty (50) goals on this list; I accomplished 28 of them. 56%. Actually… I’m pretty pleased with that.
In my 2026 post, probably going live tomorrow, I’ll cover where I’m going from here. Or at least where I think I’m going…